Thursday, June 25, 2015

Ode To Joy... And The Dowager Duchess

My Mother The Dowager Duchess is known by a number of different names. First, there's the name she was given at birth. I think there have only been three people who have ever called her by that name.

MIMI (2ND FROM RIGHT) WITH MOTHER AND SISTERS.LILLY IS FAR RIGHT.

When The Duchess started school, her sister Lilly was 14. She registered her for kindergarten and, since she didn't like her little sister's given name, she gave her an entirely different one. All my mother's friends knew her by that name. And that's the name she has gone by, officially (although not legally), ever since. It's even on her marriage certificate.

However, a popular nickname for her original given name is Mimi. Most of her family — including, ironically, her sister Lilly — called her Mimi.

My father called her Mim. When San Geraldo met The Duchess, he followed my father's lead. So, San Geraldo, his family, and all our friends call her Mim. She signs her cards (and emails) to us, "Mom/Mim."

In honour of the 88th birthday of The Dowager Duchess, here's... "Ode to Mimi."

A very H.B. to D.D. May she have very many more - well, within reason of course.

Pity that the name of Mim/Mimi has associations with a celebrity who, in my opinion, thinks she's God's gift to the rest of us mortals. Well I wouldn't swap your Dowager D. for M.C. at any time, that's for sure.

M.C.? - (Trying to avoid the tedium of spelling it out) Think "The most beautiful sound I ever heard......", add a superfluous 'H' to it, and then a surname that rhymes with 'Mary', 'airy', 'fairy', 'wary' - and voila, you got the ridiculously, over-praised spoilt bitch!Yes, give me your mum instead!